Mounting means for wrapper forming instrumentalities



Dec. 11, 1962 K. F. NEWELL ETAL 3,057,555

MOUNTING MEANS FOR WRAPPER FORMING INSTRUMENTALITIES Filed Sept. 12,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 z k 2% N WE EZO J M 7 7/ T 5 5 A NNMm/ wan 3 Dec.11, 1962 K. F. NEWELL ETAL 3,067,555

MOUNTING MEANS FOR WRAPPER FORMING INSTRUMENTALITIES Filed Sept. 12,1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FRANCIS cmesczzvzo ARLM (HA 5.5 CA A MHLHORNATTORNEYS Un ied States atent MOUNTING MEANS FOR WRAPPER FORMINGINSTRUMENTALITIES Kenneth F. Newel], Longmeadow, Francis Crescenzo,Springfield, Earle M. Chase, Wilbraham, and Carl E. Mehlhorn,Springfield, Mass., assignors to Package Machinery Company, EastLongmeadow, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 12, 1960,Ser. No. 55,577 3 Claims. (Cl. 53180) The present invention relates toimprovements in packaging machines, and more particularly to improvedmechanism for forming pillow-shaped packages. The present application isa division of our copending application Serial No. 857,324 and relatesmore particularly to improved means for mounting forminginstrumentalities on such machines.

Prior machines for producing pillow-shaped packages are exemplified inU.S. Patent No. 1,986,422. These prior machines are based on the use ofa pair of draw bars mounted on posts for vertical reciprocatingmovement. The draw bars grip a tube of wrapper material and heat-seal italong a transverse seam; the product to be packaged is dropped into thewrapper tube as it is drawn down and sealed by the draw bar. As thewrapper tube is so drawn, a knife is actuated to sever the tubeintermediate the heat-sealed portion, thus completing a previouslyfilled package. The draw bars are then opened and the completed packagereleased. The draw bars then move upwardly .and again grip the wrappertube at the top of their stroke and repeat the same cycle of operationover and over to form pillow-shaped packages. The object of theinvention is to provide improved means for facilitating a change in thediameter of the tube of wrapper material from which such packages areformed.

The invention is characterized by an inside folder or drop tube and anoutside folder which are mounted as a removable component of themachine. Further there are found adjustable means for maintaining adesired angle of the wrapper web as it is fed towards these tube forminginstrumentalities and particularly the outside former.

The above and other related objects and features of the invention willbe apparent from a reading of the following description of thedisclosure found in the accompanying drawings and the novelty thereofpointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, somewhat diagrammatical in form, showing thegeneral organiaztion of a packaging machine embodying the presentinvention;

FIG. 2-is a front elevation, with portions broken away, of-the mountingmeans for the wrapper tube forming means;

FIG. 3 is an end elevation of these mounting means;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of a positioning device for thesemounting means;

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line VV in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line VIVI in FIG. 5.

The overall organization of the present packaging machine may best behad by referring to FIG. 1 in the drawings. There it will be seen that apair of supply rolls 30 of heat-scalable wrapper material are mounted atthe rear of the machine. A web W is led from one or both of the rolls30, around a pair of fixed idler rolls 32, 34, over a web take-off roll36 and then down and around a fixed idler roll 38. For the sakeofclarity, only one web is described herein. From the roll 38 the web Wextends upwardly past electric eye mechanism 40 and web braking means 42to a fixed idler roll 44. From former 50, with the side edges of thewrapper lapped in a vertical seam at the front of the machine.

In the illustrated position, the tube T of wrapper material extendsbelow the lower end of the former St) and is sealed oif at its lower endby a previously formed transverse heat-sealed seam. A pair of draw bars52, 54 are shown in readiness to move toward the tube T, grip the tube,move downwardly and form a second transverse seam to complete thepillow-shaped package for the charge of product seen in the lower end ofthe tube.

The draw bars are slidably mounted on a swinging arm 56 which ispivotally connected to the frame of the machine by links 58, 60. An airmotor 62. is mounted on the arm 56 and through linkage. means (notshown) is adapted-t0 open and close the draw bars 52, 54 against thetube T.

As illustrated, the next step is for the air motor 62 to close the drawbars 52, 54. Thereafter, or at approximately the same time, the drawbars will move downwardly along a substantially straight line verticalpath. This straight movement is attained by the described links 58, 6dand by a link 64 connected at one end to the arm 56 and at its other endto a revolving crank arm 66.

As the draw bars 52, 54 move down, the tube is severed, by means carriedherewith, intermediate the transverse heat-seal. As the draw bars nearthe bottom of their stroke the air motor 62 is actuated by the electriceye mechanism 40; there being electric eye actuating indicia spacedalong the web W a distance equaling package length. The draw bars 52, 54are opened by motor 62, releasing the tube T and the package which wascompleted by severing the tube on the downstroke. The completed packagefalls into a chute 67 leading to a collection point at the front of themachine.

After or during the opening of the draw bars 52, 54, the arm 56 swingsupwardly to return the draw bars to their upper position, asillustrated.

During the upstroke of the draw bars, the web W is clamped by thebraking means 42 as the take-off roll 36 moves upwardly to draw off alength of web W from the supply rolls 30. In this connection it will beseen that the roll 36 is connected to the arm .56 by links 63 and urgedupwardly by springs 70. 1

While the tube T is stationary during the upstroke of the draw bars, aheat-sealer 72 is swung towards the former St) to heat-seal the verticalseam of the tube.

Product is introduced into the tube T during the inter val of timebetween closure of the draw bars in their upper position and return ofthe draw bars to their open' position again in their upper position.Product is fed from a volumetric feeder 74 which drops a given volume ofproduct into the upper end of the former 50.

Reference is made to said copending application for a detaileddescription of the packaging machine which has thus been brieflydescribed, and reference is also made thereto for the claimed featuresof novelty for the machine. For present purposes attention is morespecifically directed to the means for controlling the web W and foldingit into tubeform and further to the manner in which such means aremounted.

From the brake mechanism 42 (as seen in FIG. 1), the web W passes overthe idler roll 44 and then around the positioning roll 46 which controlsthe angle of the web as it approaches the outside former 48. The roll 46(FIGS. 5 and 6) is rotatably mounted on a shaft 635 .which has a block636 secured to each end (only the right hand end is shown). the blocks636 are slidably mounted on brackets 638 secured to opposite framepanels 86 by screws 640. A screw 642 is threaded through each block 636and is journaled on lugs 644 projecting from the brackets 638. Collars646 prevent axial movement of the screws 642 relative to the brackets638. Knobs 648 are secured to the outer ends of the screws 642 andindicia plates 649 are secured to the brackets 638 for ready referenceto the adjustment of each end of the shaft 636.

The configuration of the folding faces of the folder 48 are of knowndesign and need not be described in detail. It will be noted that theoutside folder 48 has a concentric spaced relation with the inside tubeformer 50 which must be closely controlled. One of the advantages of thepresent construction is that once this relation is established for agiven former and folder, it will at all times be maintained even whenremounted on the machine after different size formers and folders havebeen in use.

It will be seen (FIGS. 2 and 3) that arms 650 project from the wingedportions of the folder 48 and are clamped against the lower ends ofthreaded posts 652 by nuts 654. The posts 652 are suspended from a plate656 and are held thereon by nuts 658. The inside former 50 is providedwith a flange 660 at its upper end which is secured to the plate 656 byscrews 662. It will also be noted that the funnel 418 is provided with aflange 664 which is secured to the plate 656 by screws 666. The wrappertube formers and folder are thus mounted as a unit in fixed relation toeach other on the plate 656. The plate 656 is, of course, apertured sothat product will pass from the funnel 418 to the inside former 50.

The plate 656 is detachably mounted in fixed relation on the frame ofthe machine. It will be seen that the plate 656 spans and rests on theupper frame member 480. A square locating lug 668 is secured to each ofthe frame members 48% by a nut 670. Each end of the plate 656 is slottedat 672 to be interdigitated or telescoped over the locating lugs 668.Screws 67'4 project into the front, rear and inner sides of the slots672 (FIG. 4). In making an original setup, the plate 656 is placed onthe frame members 480 and the screws 674 adjusted to obtain the propertransverse and longitudinal location of the inside and outside formers(50 and 48) on the machine. Once this desired location is established,the screws 674 are locked in place by check nuts 676. The plate 656 isthen clamped against the frame members 480 by screws 678 which passthrough large clearance holes or slots in the plate 656.

Different size inside and outside formers are mounted in the samefashion on plates identical with the plate 656. Thus, to change to adifferent size package, it is simply necessary to remove the screws 678and lift the plate 656 from the machine, and with it the folder insideformer. An alternate plate having different size inside and outsideformers may then be set on the frame members. The new inside and outsideformers will automatically be correctly positioned by the locating lugs668, presuming the locating screws 674 of the new plate have previouslybeen properly adjusted. It will be noted that the screws 674 do not gripthe lugs 668 but engage them with a sliding fit to permit readyreplacement of the plate 656.

The alternate former units preferably have the different size foldersmounted so that a constant or fixed heightwise location of the outsideformers is obtained. This is obtained by using the same height posts 652for each unit. It will also be appreciated that different size formersare themselves of different heights. As was previously stated, it isdesirable that the web W have a given angular relation as it approachesthe outside former 48. Once a new size outside is mounted in themachine, it is a simple matter to adjust the roll 46 by means of theknobs 648 in order to obtain this desired angular relation.

The web W is wrapped into tubular form, about the former St), and lappedto form a vertical seam. This seam is then heat-sealed'to complete thetube T of wrapper material which is drawn from the former 50 by the drawbars 52, 54.

It will be apparent that the means herein described and claimed are notlimited in their utility to the particular environment of said copendingapplication.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as novel and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a packaging machine having a pair of laterally spaced verticalframe members, a mounting for a tubular inside former and a wingedfolder encircling said former, said mounting comprising a plate spanningsaid frame members and supported thereby, said plate having an openingtherethrough, means for securing the upper end of said former to saidplate with said opening aligned with said former and the formerdepending therefrom, means for securing said folder to said plate in apredetermined relation to said former, a square positioning lug mountedon each of said frame members, openings, one at each end of said plate,which may respectively be telescoped over said square lugs, threeadjusting screws threaded into the end of the openings of said plate andengageable respectively with three sides of said lugs whereby saidscrews may be adjusted to position the former and folder relative to themachine to establish a predetermined relationship therewith whereby theformer and folder will be automatically positioned on the machinewhenever they are remounted thereon.

2. In a packaging machine having a pair of laterally spaced framemembers, a mounting for a tubular inside former and wing folderencircling said former, said mounting comprising a plate spanning saidframe members and supported thereby, said plate having an openingtherethrough, means for securing the upper end of said former to saidplate with said opening aligned with said former and the formerdepending therefrom, means including posts of predetermined height forsecuring said folder to said plate in predetermined relation tosaidformer and in predetermined heightwise relation to said plate, a squarepositioning lug mounted on each of said frame members, openings, one ateach end of said plate, which may respectively be telescoped over saidsquare lugs, three adjusting screws threaded into the end openings ofsaid plate and engageable respectively with three sides of said lugsrespectively where-by said screws may be adjusted to simultaneouslyposition the former and folder relative to the machine to establish apredetermined relationship therewith whereby the former and folder willbe automatically positioned on the machine whenever they are everremounted thereon.

3. In a packaging machine having a pair of laterally spaced verticalframe members, a mounting for a tubular inside former and a wingedfolder encircling said former, said mounting comprising a hanger memberspanning said frame members and supported thereby, means for securingthe upper end of said former to said hanger member, said hanger memberhaving an opening aligned with said former, means for securing saidfolder to said hanger member in predetermined relation to said formerand laterally adjustable interdigitating means for positioning saidhanger member on said frame members and establish ing a desired relationof the former and folder relative to the machine to facilitate removaland reassembly of this and like mounted folder and former units; incombination with a lead-in roll for controlling the angle of the web asit is fed to said former, a guide member secured to each end of saidlead-in roll, a horizontal guideway mounted on each frame member andrespectively receiving said guide and screw means for position- 5 ingeach guide along the length of its guideway to thereby 2,872,762position the feed-in r011 relative to the former. 2,899,875 2,95 1,322References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 52,840,966 Dreeben -2 July 1, 1958 839,014

Dreeben Feb. 10, 1959 Leasure Aug. 18, 1959 Wood Sept. 6, 1960 FOREIGNPATENTS Great Britain Feb. 27, 1957'

